This invention relates generally to modular and space-saving storage racks and, more particularly, to modular storage racks in which the items being stored are always visible and readily retrievable.
Structures designed to store and display a wide variety of articles are well known. In most cases, the storage structure is designed specifically for the particular article being stored, examples of such structures including wine racks for bottles, bookcases or book shelves, commercial food racks, commercial greeting car racks, etc. Whatever article is involved, the objectives are the same, namely, to store the largest amount of the product in the smallest amount of space while making the product readily visible, accessible and removable.
One class of articles whose problems of storage and display have not yet been satisfactorily addressed is that in which the form of the article is flat and relatively thin. Examples of such thin articles are audio and video recordings including compact discs (CDs), tape cassettes and video cassettes. By way of illustration, a commercial CD container, which is commonly known as a jewel box, measures approximately 47/8 inch by 5-9/16 inch by 3/8 inch high. The title of the work on the recordings and/or the performer is carried on a label edge measuring 47/8 inch by 3/8 inch. In the store where the CDs are displayed, the label edge of every CD desirably should be visible and the product itself easily removable from its storage support. Similarly, the consumer at home should be able to store a CD collection so that any desired recording can be easily located and retrieved.
The thin (3/8 inch) dimension of the CD jewel box makes the same difficult to grasp in the normal way, between thumb and forefinger, where the records are stored in close adjacency with each other. On the other hand, a storage rack structure which spaces the adjacent records sufficiently to allow for the insertion of fingers would result in a needless waste of space and materials. Any fixed or permanent storage structure, such as a cabinet or shelving attached to a wall, is furthermore limited as to storage capacity as well as portability.
Storage problems of the type described are also present in automobiles. Many of today's automobiles are equipped with audio systems including CD players and/or cassette tape players. Nevertheless, such automobiles typically provide only a simple console drawer or well, or no structure at all, for holding the tapes and cassettes. In either case, whatever storage means is provided is not satisfactory.
Recent efforts to provide a suitable storage rack for CDs and the like may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,900,107 and 4,678,245. Each of those patents shows a storage case and cabinet having a fixed number of vertically arranged shelves. Cooperating with each of the shelves is a securing/release mechanism which includes a flexible lever or finger having a front hook portion for retaining the stored jewel box after insertion. In each patented structure, the CD is released or ejected by movement of the lever and its hook member away from the securing position. In the '107 patent, the jewel box is moved forwardly by the action of a camming surface at the back of the lever against the rear corner of the jewel box. In the '245 patent, ejection of the jewel box is caused by the action of compressed coil springs at the rear of the cabinet. While the patented structures functioned well up to a point, they were nonetheless characterized by certain disadvantageous features. The cabinets are relatively expensive and complex structures having a fixed number of shelves and storage capacity. If a user wished to carry only two or three CDs for listening in the automobile, it was necessary to carry the jewel boxes loose or to carry the entire cabinet, which was both cumbersome and inconvenient.
There thus exists a need for a simple and inexpensive storage means for thin or shallow articles of the type described. Such storage means desirably should have expandable storage capacity and should be portable for use in any environment.